Hawaii Practice TestProperty Management

Hawaii Property Management
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)

Property management questions on the Hawaii exam cover both the practical aspects of managing rental properties and the landlord-tenant law specific to Hawaii. The Hawaii Real Estate Branch tests security deposit limits, required notice periods for entry and termination, habitability standards, and the property manager's fiduciary duties. Hawaii's landlord-tenant law has specific provisions — including notice requirements and tenant protections — that differ from what national study materials cover. These questions often involve scenarios where a property manager must navigate competing obligations to the owner-client and the tenant.

Practice Questions

Hawaii Property Management — Practice Questions & Answers

141 questions on Property Management from the Hawaii real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 141.

Q1. In Hawaii, a property manager who manages properties for others and receives compensation must hold a:

A.Property management certification only
B.Real estate broker's license
C.Real estate salesperson's license or higher
D.No license is required for property management

Explanation

In Hawaii, managing property for others for compensation is a real estate activity requiring a minimum of a real estate salesperson's license. Property managers must be licensed under a principal broker.

Q2. A Hawaii property manager collects security deposits. Under Hawaii law, security deposits must be:

A.Deposited into the property manager's personal bank account
B.Held in a separate trust account and not commingled with operating funds
C.Paid directly to the property owner upon receipt
D.Held by the tenant until disputes arise

Explanation

Hawaii law requires security deposits to be held in a separate trust account and prohibits commingling with the property manager's or owner's personal or operating funds.

Q3. Under Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code (HRS Chapter 521), the maximum security deposit a landlord may charge is:

A.One month's rent
B.Two months' rent
C.Three months' rent
D.One and a half months' rent

Explanation

Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code (HRS §521-44) limits the security deposit to one month's rent for unfurnished units and does not permit more than one month's rent for most residential rentals.

Q4. Under Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, within how many days after a tenant vacates must a landlord return the security deposit or provide a written itemization of deductions?

A.10 days
B.14 days
C.21 days
D.30 days

Explanation

Hawaii law (HRS §521-44) requires the landlord to return the security deposit or provide a written itemized statement of deductions within 14 days after the tenant vacates and returns possession.

Q5. A management agreement between a property owner and a property management company is a type of:

A.Sales listing agreement
B.Employment contract creating an agency relationship
C.Lease agreement
D.Purchase contract

Explanation

A property management agreement is a type of agency contract in which the property owner (principal) employs the property manager (agent) to manage the property on their behalf.

Q6. The document that governs the relationship between a Hawaii condominium owner and the condominium association is primarily the:

A.Deed of conveyance
B.Declaration of Condominium Property Regime and the bylaws
C.Ground lease
D.Title insurance policy

Explanation

The Declaration of Condominium Property Regime and the association's bylaws govern the relationship between unit owners and the condominium association, including each owner's rights and obligations.

Q7. In Hawaii, a property manager's primary fiduciary duty is owed to:

A.The tenant
B.The property owner (principal)
C.The Hawaii Real Estate Commission
D.The lender

Explanation

The property manager acts as an agent for the property owner and owes fiduciary duties—including loyalty, confidentiality, disclosure, obedience, and accounting—to the owner as the principal.

Q8. Gross leases differ from net leases in that with a gross lease:

A.The tenant pays all operating expenses
B.The landlord pays most or all operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance)
C.The tenant pays a percentage of sales
D.The rent adjusts with inflation

Explanation

In a gross (full-service) lease, the landlord pays operating expenses (taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities). In net leases, the tenant pays some or all of these expenses in addition to base rent.

Q9. A Hawaii commercial tenant pays base rent plus a percentage of their monthly sales. This lease structure is known as a:

A.Net lease
B.Gross lease
C.Percentage lease
D.Index lease

Explanation

A percentage lease requires the tenant to pay a base rent plus a percentage of their gross sales above a specified breakpoint. It is common in retail settings.

Q10. Under Hawaii law, a landlord must provide a tenant with at least how many days' written notice before entering the dwelling for non-emergency repairs?

A.24 hours
B.48 hours
C.3 days
D.7 days

Explanation

Hawaii's Residential Landlord-Tenant Code requires landlords to provide at least 24 hours' notice before entering a rental unit for non-emergency reasons such as repairs or inspections.

Q11. A Hawaii property manager who collects rents must deposit those funds into a:

A.Personal savings account
B.Trust account maintained separately from the manager's own funds
🔒

131 more Property Management questions

Create a free account to unlock all 141 Hawaii Property Management questions with full explanations.

Free account · No credit card · Instant access to 25 questions

Ready to take the full exam? Start free.

25 free questions · No signup · Instant access to all Hawaii topics